The Department of Advanced Nursing, under the Faculty of Health Sciences, is actively driving the university’s vision for local and international impact through its Strategic Plan 2021-2025. One key initiative is the collaboration with Novia University of Applied Sciences (Novia UAS) in Finland and the University of Zambia (UNZA) on the Team Finland Knowledge Programme (TFK). This project, titled Finland Southern Africa Midwifery Education (FAME), is funded by the Finnish National Agency for Education and runs from 1 August 2023 to 31 December 2025.
At Novia University of Applied Sciences Prof Maputle had an opportunity to participate in Midwifery teaching and to visit the well-equipped simulation Laboratory.
This partnership aligns with the university’s strategic objectives: SO5, which focuses on enhancing research output for innovation and impact, and SO15, which aims to strengthen the institution’s profile locally, regionally, and internationally. The Department of Advanced Nursing is represented by three key staff members on the project: Prof Sonto Maputle, Dr Julia Mafumo, and Ms Violet Chewe.
In terms of strengthening global competence in Maternal Health, the project’s primary objective is to improve maternal health outcomes by sharing expertise and learning from the best practices of each participating country. The collaboration focuses on high-risk pregnancy, maternal mental health, and strategies to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality—issues of particular concern in Zambia and South Africa, where maternal mortality rates remain high. In contrast, Finland has one of the world’s lowest rates of maternal and child mortality.. By sharing knowledge and practices across these diverse contexts, the project seeks to create a lasting impact on the health of mothers and infants.
The FAME project is centred around midwifery education, but it also includes contributions from public healthcare and nursing education. Through this exchange, students and lectur-ers will have the opportunity to develop intercultural skills and enhance their global knowledge through joint activities like online courses and workshops, student and staff exchanges, includ-ing study visits, lectures, and clinical practice and the creation of digital educational materials.
In September 2024, Prof Sonto Maputle visited Novia UAS, where she par-ticipated in midwifery teaching and toured their state-of-the-art simula-tion laboratory. During this time, she was warmly welcomed by the Novia UAS team.
The Department of Advanced Nursing also hosted Dr Anita Maria Wikberg and Ms Terese Maria Öster-berg from Novia UAS from 30 September to 05 October 2024, along with two Novia students, Miss Jose-phine Isuls and Miss Victoria Alexandra Risberg. The students were placed at Donald Fraser Hospital in South Africa for a four-week clinical learning experience in midwifery and neonatal care, which runs from 30 September to 27 October 2024. This exchange is an essential component of the FAME proj-ect, offering students the opportunity to gain real-world experience in diverse healthcare settings.
The FAME project aims to: Enhance virtual and digital teaching competences; Pro-mote understanding of best practices in midwifery, public healthcare, and nursing ed-ucation; Deepen knowledge on high-risk pregnancy, maternal mental health, and intercultural competence; Contribute to the long-term improvement of maternal and peri-natal health outcomes in all three participating countries; Develop new curricula, teach-ing methods, and models that reflect the diverse needs of students and healthcare systems;
Through these activities, the project hopes to foster long-term collaborations beyond the initial fund-ing period. This could include applications for further funding (such as Erasmus+ or Erasmus Global) to sustain and expand these educational exchanges, clinical placements, and research opportunities.
Welcome of Finnish lecturers
During the visit, the Office of International Relations at UNIVEN, led by Dr Segun Oba-dire, warmly welcomed a group of Finnish exchange students to South Africa. Dr Oba-dire emphasised the value of this cultural exchange, which allows students to broad-en their academic and cultural horizons. He encouraged the students to fully engage with the opportunities the FAME programme offers, both academically and personally.
Dr Malwela and the Advanced Nursing Science team, including Prof Son-to Maputle, Dr Julia Mafumo, Ms Violet Chewe, Dr Takalani Mbedzi, Mr Tshepo Moha-le, and Mr Sifiso Dlamini, took the Finnish team on a tour of local hospitals, including Don-ald Fraser Hospital, where Novia UAS students are currently placed for clinical training.
The FAME project represents a crucial step in fostering international collabora-tion in healthcare education. By sharing knowledge and improving educational practic-es across borders, the universities involved aim to create meaningful improvements in ma-ternal health and healthcare systems in Zambia, South Africa, and Finland. The ongoing exchange of ideas and expertise will help strengthen global competencies and prepare fu-ture healthcare professionals for the challenges they will face in an interconnected world.
By the end of the project, the FAME initiative is expected to yield several positive out-comes, including Improved competence in virtual and digital teaching; Enhanced under-standing of best practices in midwifery, public healthcare, and nursing; Increased knowl-edge of maternal mental health and high-risk pregnancy across different cultural contexts; Long-term contributions to reducing maternal and perinatal mortality rates through improved education; Updated curricula and teaching methodologies tailored to diverse healthcare sys-tems; Strengthened intercultural competence and collaboration among students and staff.
Department of Marketing, Branding & Communication.
University of Venda
Tel: 082 868 2218 / 082 868 1811
